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SpongeBob SquarePants Cake

Candy-coated and spectacular, this SpongeBob SquarePants cake is nothing less than a kid's dream cake. This outstanding confection has M&Ms, Twizzlers, gum drops, and more.

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This recipe is best suited for parents to make on their own or with minimal help from kids.

Try this recipe at your child's next party. Double the ingredients or divide them in half, depending on the size of your celebration.

This recipe contains one or more of the following common food allergens: dairy, nuts, soy, wheat, or eggs.

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 90 min.

Ingredients

1 box (18.25 oz.) yellow cake mix, prepared as pound cake

2 chocolate-coated, cream-filled snack cakes (Funny Bones or Ho Hos)

5 plain bread sticks

2 cans (16 oz. each) prepared vanilla frosting

Yellow food coloring

1 sixteen-oz. can prepared milk-chocolate frosting

1 each blue, white, and red taffy strip (Air Heads)

2 brown candy-coated chocolates (M&M's)

1 cup prepared dark-chocolate frosting

3 pieces black licorice twists (Twizzlers)

Red paste food coloring

1 strip strawberry Fruit by the Foot

3 large and 4 small yellow gumdrops, halved crosswise

4 chocolate-covered marshmallow cookies (Mallomars)

Resealable pastry bag

Toothpicks

Tip: Check your market for a package of plastic frosting bags. To fill one, fold the top half down, holding the bottom with one hand. With the other hand, and using a large spoon, scoop frosting into it. Unfold the bag. To use the bag, hold at the top and push down using a twisting motion.

Directions

Step 1

Prepare a 9- by 13-inch cake according to the package directions for the pound-cake version. Mark 1 3/4 inches and 3 1/4 inches up from one short end of the cake. Cut a small 1- by 3-inch wedge from the two bottom corners to be used for SpongeBob's hands.

Step 2

Cut one snack cake and place it on the bottom edge of the cake to form the top of Bob's legs. Cut the other snack cake in half on a diagonal for Bob's upper arms. Trim the bread sticks for lower arms (3 inches), lower legs (4 inches), and nose (1 1/2 inches). Trim the thin side of the wedges you cut in Step 1: to 2-inch pieces for his hands.

Step 3

Spoon 1 1/2 cups of vanilla frosting into a small bowl and cover. Tint the remaining vanilla frosting yellow. Spoon 3/4 of a cup of the yellow frosting into a resealable bag and set aside. Frost the largest section yellow. Frost the middle and upper arms with some of the white frosting. Frost the lowest section and upper legs with the milk-chocolate frosting.

Step 4

Heat 1/4 cup of the vanilla frosting until it reaches the texture of slightly whipped cream. Dip the longer bread sticks in frosting to coat and place them on a cutting board to dry. Repeat the process with 1/2 cup of the yellow frosting. Dip the white legs in the yellow to cover half.

Step 5

<b>Eyes:</b> Using a small juice glass, lightly press into the frosting to make an outline for Bob's eyes. Fill in the eyes with vanilla frosting. Cut 1-inch circles from the blue taffy for the center of the eyes and use chocolate candies for the pupils. Pipe an outline of dark-chocolate frosting around each eye. Cut the licorice to make eyelashes, and press on top of the eyes.<br />
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<b>Mouth:</b> Use a toothpick to mark an outline for the mouth. Tint 3 tablespoons of the milk-chocolate frosting red, and spread inside the marked areas. Cut a 2-inch piece of red taffy and shape it like a tongue. Cut two rectangles of white taffy to make the teeth. Pipe an outline of dark-chocolate frosting around the mouth. <br />
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<b>Nose:</b> Stick a toothpick in the cut end of the nosepiece and insert it into the cake at an angle.<br />
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<b>Cheeks and chin:</b> Pipe a thick wavy border of yellow around the face and a circle of yellow on each cheek. Roll a thin line of red taffy for the chin and cheek outline. Press halved yellow gumdrops into the cake for the sponge holes.<br />
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<b>Clothes:</b> Cut and assemble his tie from Fruit by the Foot strip. Pipe outline of his collar and tie. Press licorice pieces into chocolate frosting to make his belt.

Step 6

Gently press the bread-stick arms into the upper arms. Attach the saluting arm with a toothpick to secure. Attach the hands with a toothpick. Place the bread-stick legs below the thighs with the yellow side closer to the cake. Roll thin pieces of red and blue taffy to form sock lines. Cut a 1/2-inch wedge from each of the two trimmed marshmallow cookies and attach the cookies (not the wedges) to the legs with a toothpick for his shoes.

Tip: You may want to make some of the taffy decorations a day in adance. Just wrap them lightly in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container until you're ready to assemble the cake.